TLN1 and infection: These data suggest that HBx-mediated TLN1 degradation relieves an inhibition on HBV RNA transcription, as schematically represented in Figure 3F. Initiation of HBV replication in HepG2 cells by transfection results in cccDNA formation and HBx-dependent replication [52], but circumvents the natural infection steps (viral entry), and may not recapitulate HBx-mediated effects early in the HBV replication cycle that depend on natural infection [15].